Football: Cyclones staying simple on defense

Iowa’s offense provides a rather straightforward challenge. Iowa State plans to counter with a straightforward solution.

“I think the biggest thing is you’ve got to play fast,” ISU football coach Matt Campbell said. “(Iowa is) going to play fast because one of the things they do a great job of on both sides of the ball is they are simple. I think they’re simple to the point where they let their kids play with a lot of speed and knowledge of what they’re doing.

“We have to be the same way. I think once you try to create something and all of a sudden mistakes happen, they have the ability to make big plays from that.”

“We’re not going to be all creative and start being geniuses,” ISU defensive coordinator Jon Heacock said. “We’re going to go play defense what the kids have practiced for a year now. All the new faces have to just be more reps of the same. We’ll continue to do what we do and just keep playing.

“Repetition is the mother of all learning so we’re just going to keep getting reps at what we do.”

The biggest concern for ISU’s defense is undoubtedly Hawkeye running back Akrum Wadley. The senior rushed for 116 yards on 24 carries (4.8 YPC) in Iowa’s season-opening win against Wyoming. He rushed for 1,064 yards as a junior and averaged 6.4 yards per carry.

“He’s such a dynamic football player,” Campbell said, “and just when you think there’s nothing there he’s got the ability to make you miss in space and make plays happen. He certainly did that last week, and I think that’s been the foundation of his success.”

Wadley’s ability to make defenders miss is based on a foundational skill.

“He’s got tremendous feet,” Heacock said. “His feet are incredible. He can make you miss in a second. He can cut on a dime, and then has great speed to go with it.”

In addition to Wadley’s skill, Iowa’s offensive line has long established itself as a formidable force.

“There’s some big dudes,” ISU linebacker Joel Lanning said. “It’s going to be a tough game. They’re going to come here and bring it to us so we’ve got to be ready for it.”

What the Cyclones will be bringing, though, will be more about execution than some unconventional gameplan to keep the Hawkeyes off-kilter.

“We are who we are,” Heacock said. “We have young faces over there. We’re not going to get all crazy about schemes.

“The more our guys play it, the faster they’ll play it. I’m a firm believer in it, and I’ve said it all the years I’ve been in coaching, your team plays fastest when they’re doing, and we’re not going to do anything we do not know what we’re doing.

“I’m going to (let) those kids go play. They deserve the chance to go have fun and play as hard as they can play. They don’t need to be thinking about some genius idea I came up with.”

ISU is hoping simplicity leads to success.

“I think it’s our ability to know where we’re supposed to be defensively,” Campbell said, “be gap-sound and be really sound when we go and get to the football.

“Those are when we’re playing our best defense, and we’re going to have to do that obviously for four quarters.”